Who are smokers who use NRT for temporary abstinence ?

1. Who are smokers who use NRT for temporary abstinence ? Jean-François E T T E R, PhD Institute of social and preventive medicineUniversity of Geneva Switzerland Slides: Stop-tabac.ch

2. Background • More and more smoking restrictions (e.g. at work) • Several countries (including France) authorise simultaneous use of NRT and cigarettes for temporary abstinence • Little is known about smokers who use NRT to deal with no-smoking situations

3. Methods • E-mail (in French) sent to 17'400 participants in the"Stop-tabac.ch" online smoking cessation program • Participants were invited to answer: "A survey on use of NRT to deal with situations where one has to abstain temporarily from smoking (e.g. at work, during a meeting, in a plane)" • May 2003

4. Participants • 618 valid answers (4%) • Women: 66 % • Age: 38 years (median) • Smokers: 44 % Daily (n=271) 5 % Occasionally (not daily) (n=33) 50 % EX-smokers (n=310) • Domain names of participant's servers: • France (.fr): n=193 • Switzerland (.ch): n=79 • Belgium (.be): n=44; • Canada (.ca): n=36

5. Did you ever use NRT to deal with situations where you have to abstain temporarily from smoking (e.g. at work, during a meeting, in a plane)?

6. Comparison of daily smokers who were using NRT to deal with no-smoking situations with daily smokers who were not

7. Comparison of daily smokers who were using NRT to deal with no-smoking situations with daily smokers who were not

8. Comparison of daily smokers who were using NRT to deal with no-smoking situations with daily smokers who were not

9. Which product do you use mainly, to deal with situations where you have to abstain temporarily from smoking? (n=30)

10. Duration(n=30 smokers who currently used NRT to deal with no-smoking situations) For how long have you been using NRT products to deal with no-smoking situations? • Median = 6 months, quartiles = 21 days and 1 year • Range: 7 days to "more than 5 years"

11. Frequency of use(n=30 smokers who currently used NRT to deal with no-smoking situations) How frequently do you use NRT to deal with no-smoking situations? • on 6-7 days per week: 37 % • on 5 days per week: 10 % • on 1 to 4 days per week: 20 % • on 1 to 3 days per month: 17% • on <1 day per month: 17%

12. Interval and number of gums(n=30 smokers who currently used NRT to deal with no-smoking situations) Interval: • Occasionally (e.g. during a meeting): 56% • Regular intervals throughout the day: 40% During the days when you use them, how many nicotine gums do you use per day, to deal with situations where you have to abstain temporarily from smoking? Among 16 gum users: • Median: 3 gums / day • 25th percentile: 1 gum • 75th percentile: 4 gums • Range: 1 to 14 gums

13. Dosis and flavour(n=30 smokers who currently used NRT for temporary abstinence) Which dosis do you use, in situations where you have to abstain temporarily from smoking? Among 16 gum users: • 2 mg gum: 75% • 4 mg gum: 25% Flavour: Among 16 gum users: • Neutral (nicotine): 63 % • Mint: 31% • Fruit: 6%

14. Situations(n=30 smokers who currently used NRT for temporary abstinence)

15. Conclusion 1: efficacy ? • Long duration of NRT use, but low dosage. • Effect of such low dosage of NRT ?

16. Conclusion 2: reach ? • Few smokers work in totally smoke-free workplaces • Few have to work for 2+ hours without smoking • Dr recommend to avoid concomitant use NRT+ cig. • 50% of users were currently trying to quit => did not use NRT only for TA • Potential reach or appeal of this strategy ?